Petunia plant named ‘Bodtruwhi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Bodtruwhi’, characterized by its mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; and numerous large white-colored flowers.

Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Bodtruwhi.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Bodtruwhi.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lompoc, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create trailing Petunias with numerous large flowers and attractive flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 1998 of a proprietary Petunia selection identified as 9P5182-1, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Petunia selection identified as 8P2002, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petunia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Lompoc, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttings in Lompoc, Calif. since June, 2000 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Bodtruwhi have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bodtruwhi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bodtruwhi’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Numerous large white-colored flowers.

Compared to plants of the female parent, plants of the new Petunia have a more mounded habit and larger flowers. Compared to plants of the male parent, plants of the new Petunia are more vigorous and have a more mounded plant habit.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Surfinia White, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lompoc, Calif., plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar Surfinia White in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia were more mounded than plants of the cultivar Surfinia White.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Surfinia White.

3. Plants of the new Petunia flowered under short day conditions whereas plants of the cultivar Surfinia White did not flower under short day conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bodtruwhi’ grown in a container.

The photographs at the bottom of the sheet comprises close-up views of typical flower buds, developing flowers, open flowers and the upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves of ‘Bodtruwhi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercial practice during the winter in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 18 to 24° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C. and light levels about 5,000 to 9,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown with one rooted cutting per 15.25-cm container for about 12 weeks. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Bodtruwhi.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identified as 9P5182-1, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identified as 8P2002, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 to 10 days at 27° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 28 to 42 days at 18 to 24° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous, whitish in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially upright, then mounded and outwardly spreading to low trailing; plants eventually becoming roughly hemispherical in shape. Vigorous growth habit. Freely basal branching with about 8 main lateral branches per plant with lateral branches potentially forming at every node.

Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio containers and landscape applications.

Plant height.—About 28 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 33 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length, vegetative shoots: About 2.5 cm. Internode length, flowering shoots: About 3.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement, before flowering: Alternate, simple. Arrangement, when flowering: Opposite, simple. Length: About 6.5 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glandular, viscid; slightly pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 146B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 145B. Petiole length: About 6 mm. Petiole diameter: About 4 mm. Petiole color: 145B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Large salverform flowers; flowers face upward or outward; single, axillary. Flowers persistent. Freely flowering, typically more than 50 open flowers and flower buds per plant at one time.

Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous during the flowering period. Plants of the new Petunia will also flower under short day conditions.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 5 to 7 days.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 9.5 cm. Tube length: About 3.5 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 1.5 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 6 mm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 3.75 cm. Diameter: Apex: About 1.2 cm. Base: About 6 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices. Color: 145B.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals, fused into flared trumpet with distinct clefts between petal lobes. Petal length from throat: About 4 cm. Petal width: About 4.5 cm. Petal shape: Roughly fan-shaped; ruffled. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire; ruffled. Petal texture: Smooth, velvety. Color: Petal, upper surface, when opening: 157A. Petal, lower surface, when opening: 145B. Petal, upper surface, fully opened: 155B. Petal, lower surface, fully opened: 155D. Flower throat (inside): 6B to 6C. Flower tube (outside): 155B. Venation, upper petal surface: 4C. Venation, lower petal surface: 145C. Venation, throat: 145B. Venation, tube: 145B.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1.6 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Rounded to broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glandular, viscid. Color, upper surface: 137C. Color, lower surface: 137D.

Peduncles.—Length: About 3.6 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Angle: About 45° to the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five, adnate to corolla tube. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: About 3.5 mm. Anther color: 1D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 160B. Pistils: Quantity: One. Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Stigma shape: Rounded, flattened. Stigma color: 145B. Style length: About 2 cm. Style color: 145D. Ovary color: 145A.

Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Bodtruwhi’, as illustrated and described. 